Being sick, I don’t really think of food very much. I’ve been cooking and doing a lot of food prep, but that’s been more out of necessity to make sure Pookster and the family have food to eat rather than because some culinary curiosity got my juices flowing. Everything I’ve been doing in the last week in the kitchen has been more or less done while on auto pilot. I’m just trying to get things done and get people fed.

But last Sunday, when we did leave the apartment for some fresh air, we ate outdoors at Riverside Park at a spot close by, and I figured I’d just order something simple, and hopefully something that didn’t make me more phlegmy or want to throw up. So I got some chicken tenders. I don’t know if it was just me, but they were very, very good. Usually, unless I’m making them myself, I find chicken tenders quite bland and unflavorful, especially given they are usually made with chicken breast and not thighs. But these were very good: juicy, seasoned just right, with a good crunch. I decided I would use the chicken tenderloins in my freezer that I got from Butcherbox to make my own this weekend, complete with parmesan, oregano, and some fun seasonings. How strange it is that chicken tenders are what is getting me a bit excited about cooking again while ill?